Bharat Petroleum Corporation plans to add 170,000bpd refining capacity by expanding its Kochi and Bina plants in India.

The refining capacity at Kochi in southern India will be expanded from 190,000bpd to 300,000bpd while it plans to expand the capacity at Bina refinery in central India from 120,000bpd to 180,000bpd.

The state-owned firm is also planning to establish a petrochemical complex in Kochi where it will also develop a fluid catalytic cracking unit which will be produce propylene, Bharat chairman and managing director RK Singh told reporters at the Asia Oil and Gas Conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Bharat Petroleum is expecting to start operations at the Bina facility in the next three months.

The expansion will cost the company Rs180bn ($4bn).